How to get help

NEED HELP?

Published 5:30 am, Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Looking for food?

• The
Houston Food Bank
is open for business to hand out food 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday. The distribution point is at 3811 Eastex Fwy. Call 713-223-3700 for more information.
•
The Salvation Army
is offering food, water and ice to hurricane victims. To receive help with groceries, call 211 or 888-312-4567. To find out where ice and water is being distributed, call 800-253-1868.

Need a hotel?

People who can't find a room at a hotel that will bill FEMA directly should save their receipts for reimbursement, a spokeswoman said today.

But if you can't find a room at one of those locations — and your insurance won't pay for alternative living expenses — FEMA will reimburse you up to the rate the participating hotels charge them, spokeswoman Patricia Brach said.

You must register with FEMA online or over the phone to participate in the transitional housing program. Your home must be uninhabitable. Reasons could include a lack of power or water or structural damage to a main living area, Brach said. The transitional housing program is effective Sept. 14 to Oct. 14.

To request help from the Houston Area Red Cross, call 800-733-2767. Patience is required as calls to that number were dropped multiple times. Shelter locations and distribution points for food, water and ice are offered on that automated phone line. Shelter information can also be found at houstonredcross.org.

For your pet

The
Houston SPCA
is working hard to reconnect lost pets with their owners, as well as rescuing animals from hard-hit areas. You can access the lost and found database here. The animal rescue hotline is 713-435-2990.